Paperboard doll container



31 40 [ll "WI" M137 33 INVENTOR. JOSEPH J ,S'TAVIS :2 BERNARD H S'ZAVIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,748,928 PAPERBOARD DOLL CONTAINER Joseph J. Stavis, Roxbury, and Bernard H. Stavis, Newton, Mass.

. This invention relates to containers of paperboard or the like and especially to containers used for packing,

shipping and displaying dolls or similar fragile articles.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a carton, container or package which includes a set up rectangular box having a separate insert for retaining and positioning an article such as a doll, whereby the article is firmly held against movement during shipment or when displayed in upright position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an insert for a set up box which is useful in retaining a doll in the box and may be formed from a single sheet of paperboard without excessive waste of material.

A further object of the invention is to provide a platform insert for a set up box which holds an article in place with little possibility of the article shaking loose during subsequent handling and which platform can be easily raised to lift the article to an inclined position within the box or to entirely remove the article from the box.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a platform insert for a set up box in which the article is held in place by the pressure of the sides of the set up box and the article is not used to hold the insert in the box or to hold the insert together.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description of the drawings and in the appended claims.

In the drawing Fig. l is a plan view of the platform insert of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the insert of Fig. 1 in a set up box with a doll shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 2, in section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. 2 in section on line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modification and Fig. 6 is a side view in section similar to Fig. 4 showing the insert raised to an inclined position for display purposes or during removal thereof.

In Fig. l of the drawing, a blank A is shown which may be of any suitable material but preferably is of paperboard. As shown, a bottom panel and an end wall panel 21 are formed in blank A and are hingedly connected by the lateral crease line 22. Bottom panel 20 is rectangular with crease line 22 forming one of the shorter sides of the rectangle and the free edge 23 forming the opposite shorter side thereof. Bottom panel 20 is of an area equal to the area of the bottom of the box with which the insert is to be used and end panel 21 is preferably equal in area to the area of the end wall of the box with which the insert is to be used.

The two opposite longer sides of bottom panel 20 are designated 24 and 25 and each is formed by one of a pair of longitudinal crease lines 26 and 27 plus one of a pair of longitudinal lines of severance 28 and 29. A

2,748,928 Patented June 5, 1956 pair of opposite side panels 31 and 32 are hingedly connected to bottom panel 20 by crease lines 26 and 27. Side panels 31 and 32 are each of a width laterally when flat, and of a height vertically when upfolded, preferably less than the corresponding height of the side walls of the set up box with which the insert is to be used. In extension of each side panel 31 and 32 is one of a pair of cross partition flaps 33 or 34 hingedly connected thereto by a lateral crease line 35 or 36.

Each cross partition flap 33 or 34 is separated from bottom panel 20 by the lines of severance 28 and 29 whereby when side panels 31 and 32 are upfolded the flaps 33 and 34 may be infolded over the bottom panel 20. A cutout such as 37 and 38 is formed at the inside portion of the terminal end of each flap, thereby forming a tongue 39 and 40 at the outside terminal end of each flap. Each cross partition flap 33 and 34 is of a length suflicient to extend more than half way over the bottom panel 20 to enable tongues 39 and 40 to overlap each other and each cut out 37 and 38 is of sufficient length and height to mutually form a neck opening of inverted U shape preferably at the longitudinal centre line of bottom panel 20 for receiving the neck of a doll.

A set up box B, as shown in Figs. 2-4 and Fig. 6, is provided and includes a rectangular bottom 42, a pair of upstanding end walls 43 and 44 and a pair of rectangular upstanding side walls 45 and 46, the box being connected at the corners in any well known way. Preferably box B includes a finger cut out 47 whereby the insert may be conveniently grasped for lifting the same and a suitable cover, not shown, may be provided for the box or it may be covered with transparent plastic sheeting to display the contents as well as a cover.

In operation the article to be packed in the new carton, for example a doll C shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, is placed on the bottom panel 20 of insert A. The end panel 21 and the side panels 31 and 32 are upfolded at the same time as cross partition flaps 33 and 34 are infolded, thus causing the flaps to overlap over bottom panel 20 and to partially encircle the neck of the doll. When so uptolded and infolded the insert A may be inserted vertically down within the side walls 45 and 46 and the end Walls 43 and 44 of box B until bottom panel 20 is flatwise on bottom wall 42. Because the height of the side wall panels 31 and 32 is preferably somewhat less than the height of side walls 45 and 46 of box B the insert A may be inserted in inclined position as shown in Fig. 6 or may be removed in the same manner. The end panel 21 rests flatwise against the adjacent end wall such as 44 of box B and may be grasped with the fingers by reason of cut out 47 for removing the insert and the article. Similarly side panels 31 and 32 rest flatwise against side walls 45 and 46 of box B and the pressure of the walls 45 and 46 keeps the cross partition flaps 33 and 34 down around the neck of the doll or other article.

It will be apparent that the cross partition flaps 33 and 34 with their overlapping tongues 39 and 40 and the inverted U shaped neck opening formed thereby not only centre the article but resiliently hold the article from shaking loose or otherwise being damaged in transit or in handling. As shown in Fig. 6 the end panel 21 can be lifted around the point 48 as a centre to raise insert A to an inclined position for display purposes with the cross flaps 33 and 34 still held in place by side walls 45 and 46 of box B. Only upon complete removal of insert A from box B may the cross flaps be opened to remove the article without fracture. It will also be obvious that the box B may be placed on end for display purposes with no danger of the doll falling out and with insert A supporting the neck of the doll to prevent it collapsing by gravity.

As shown in Fig. 5 an insert D may be provided having a bottom panel 50, end panel 51, side panels 52 and 53 t: and cross partition flaps 54 and 55. Insert D is identical with insert A except that end panel 51 is at the end of bottom panel 50 removed from fiaps 54 and 55 instead of in the same end portion as such flaps as in insert A.

We claim:

A doll carton of paperboard comprising a set up box having a rectangular bottom wall, two opposite end walls and two opposite rectangular side walls and a separate doll positioning insert member of paperboard, said insert member having a bottom panel identical in area to, and supported flatwise against the bottom wall of said box; an end panel identical in area to, and supported flatwise, against one of the end walls of said box, said end panel being hingedly connected to said bottom panel; a pair of identical side panels, each of less length than, and hingedly connected to an opposite side edge of, the bottom panel of said insert, each said side panel being of less height than, and supported fiatwise against, the adjacent side wall of said box and a pair of oppositely disposed identical cross partition flaps, each hingedly connected to, and infolded at right angles from, one of the side panels of said insert, each said cross partition flap having a terminal tongue in the upper portion thereof slidably engaging and overlapping an identical tongue on the other flap and each having a cut out portion in the lower portion thereof, below said tongue, mutually defining a neck opening of inverted U shape for a doll at the longitudinal centre line of the set up box, said opening extending from the level of said bottom panel upwardly into the upper halves of said cross partition flaps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,441,727 Joslin Jan. 9, 1923 2,339,382 Davidson Jan. 18, 1944 2,537,151 Mires Jan. 9, 1951 2,676,748 Sprenger et al. Apr. 27, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 443,441 Germany May 7, 1925 383,281 Great Britain Oct. 31, 1932 471,028 Great Britain Aug. 26, 1937 

